Page:Women of distinction.djvu/105

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WOMEN OF DISTINCTION.
59

reside with a family of Friends at Columbia, Pennsylvania, Robert Mifflin being the head of the family. Here her situation was conducive to piety. She returned to the Lord, and after struggling in ignorance, darkness and doubt for three months, it pleased the Lord to scatter the darkness of unbelief and set her soul at liberty. Speaking of that occurrence Sister Smith says: "Oh what joy and real peace swept. through my soul like a flood of light and love! I obtained a clear and distinct witness of the Spirit that God for Christ's sake had pardoned all my sins. And though I have had many storms and conflicts from Satan, yet, glory to God! I have never had a doubt from that hour. From then until this time I have had no spiritual trouble."

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Mrs. Smith has been twice married, and is the mother of five children. The name of her first husband was Calvin M. Devine, of Columbia, Pennsylvania. He died in July 1856. She next married Rev. James H. Smith, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a local deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Smith died November, 1869. in the State of New York.

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In 1879, Mrs. Smith left America and sailed for England. She was all alone—yet not alone; for the Lol'd bade her go, and promised to go with her.

While holding a meeting in old Sands Street Church, Brooklyn, she chanced to meet Miss Price, an English lady who was visiting Mrs. Parker, a friend of hers. Mrs. Smith was at the time very much debilitated from overwork. Miss Price, observing this, seemingly in a casual manner, remarked to Mrs. Smith that a trip to Europe would be nice and she thought beneficial to her. She said, "I intend to go to Europe in April myself, and I think a trip would do you good." Says Mrs. Smith, "I supposed only well folks went to Europe for a change, but such as me, never, no, never."

The matter then passed out of Mrs. Smith's mind and was forgotten; but after a few days Miss Price mentioned it again, when Mrs. Smith replied, "Of gold and silver have I none; but it takes money to go to England." This was precisely what Miss Price knew, and to this point she had been directing her conversation from the first. So she promptly advised Mrs. Smith to take the matter to the Lord in prayer, saying, "And if you decide to go, I will see that the money is all right."

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